Summer trip hostelling in Europe solo but would like to meet people

My son is 19 and planning a trip to Europe this Summer before he goes to University. He plans to go from mid June to early August. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where he should fly into and the best itinerary – so he can have some hostels booked before he goes. He has talked about working but he is a u.s citizen with a Brit passport and no National insurance number so I am not sure if this is possible. Is there a good resource he can use to see upcoming events or forums where people who have taken similar multi-country trips relate stories, itineraries and tips

We have recently released a new edition of The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget, which covers a lot of these questions (as does The Rough Guide to First-Time Europe). He could have a look at the Things Not to Miss sections of the various European countries he’s interested in on this site, to get a feel for where he would most like to go. If he wants to travel around a lot, an InterRail or Eurail Pass (depending on his residence status) can be a cost-effective and fun way of getting around.

In terms of working, there might be some options where he gets food and board rather than pay, such as WWOOF or HelpX. Whatever he ends up doing, Europe is an amazing (and amazingly varied) continent; he’s bound to meet a lot of interesting people and have a great time!